Creamy Tuscan Chicken Pasta (One-Pan Sauce, 25 Minutes)

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Yield: 4–6 servings

Ingredients
Pasta

• 1 pound pasta (penne, rigatoni, or fettuccine)

• Salt for the pasta water

• 1/2 cup reserved pasta water (for loosening the sauce if needed)

Chicken

• 1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs or chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces

• 1 1/2 teaspoons kosher salt

• 1 teaspoon black pepper

• 1 teaspoon garlic powder

• 1 teaspoon Italian seasoning

• 2 tablespoons olive oil

Sauce

• 3 tablespoons butter

• 6 cloves garlic, minced

• 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)

• 1/2 cup sun-dried tomatoes (in oil), sliced

• 1 tablespoon oil from the sun-dried tomato jar

• 3/4 cup chicken broth

• 1 1/2 cups heavy cream

• 1 cup Parmesan, finely grated (plus more to serve)

• 10 ounces frozen chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed very dry

Optional finish

• 1 tablespoon lemon juice (optional)
  Note: Kelvin forgot the lemon in his batch. The dish still slaps. Lemon just adds a bright finish.

Optional “make it extra” add-ins

• 6–8 slices bacon, cooked and chopped

• 8 ounces mushrooms, sliced

• 1 cup peas (stir in at the end)

Instructions

1. Prep the frozen spinach
   Thaw the spinach and squeeze it bone-dry in a clean towel or paper towels until no liquid drips. Set aside.

2. Boil the pasta
   Bring a large pot of water to a boil and salt it well. Cook the pasta until just al dente. Reserve about 1/2 cup pasta water, then drain.

3. Season the chicken
   Season the chicken with kosher salt, black pepper, garlic powder, and Italian seasoning. Toss until evenly coated.

4. Sear the chicken
   Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken in a single layer and sear 3–4 minutes per side, until browned and cooked through. Remove chicken to a plate.

5. Build the flavor base
   Reduce heat to medium. Add butter to the same skillet. Once melted, add minced garlic and red pepper flakes (if using). Cook 30–60 seconds, stirring constantly. Add sun-dried tomatoes and 1 tablespoon of the oil from the jar. Stir 30 seconds.

6. Make the creamy Tuscan sauce
   Add chicken broth and heavy cream. Simmer 3–4 minutes until slightly thickened.

7. Add Parmesan and spinach
   Lower heat to medium-low. Stir in finely grated Parmesan until smooth. Add the thawed, squeezed-dry spinach and cook 1–2 minutes to heat through.

8. Combine everything
   Add the pasta and cooked chicken back in and toss until fully coated. If the sauce is too thick, add reserved pasta water a splash at a time until glossy and silky. If the sauce is too loose, simmer 2–3 minutes and add a little more Parmesan.

9. Optional lemon finish
   Off the heat, stir in lemon juice if using. Taste and adjust salt and pepper. Serve hot with extra Parmesan.

Additional tips (so it turns out “restaurant good” every time)

• Frozen spinach must be squeezed dry. If you skip that, the sauce goes watery.

• Grate Parmesan finely. It melts smoother and won’t clump.

• Don’t boil the sauce hard after adding cheese. Keep it gentle to avoid grainy sauce.

• If your skillet is too small, pour the finished sauce into the pasta pot and toss everything there. Texture fix stays the same: pasta water to loosen, Parmesan to tighten.

• Chicken breast tip: pull it as soon as it’s cooked. Overcooking is what dries it out.

• Want thicker sauce fast? Simmer 2 minutes and add 2–4 tablespoons extra Parmesan.

• Want silkier sauce? Add 1–2 tablespoons pasta water and toss hard for 20–30 seconds.

Storage and reheating

• Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3–4 days.

• Reheat on the stove over low heat with a splash of water, broth, or milk. Stir until creamy again.

• Microwave works, but use short bursts and stir often so the sauce doesn’t split.

Nutrition Facts (estimated, per serving, based on 6 servings)
Calories: 873
Protein: 54g
Carbohydrates: 63g
Fat: 44g
Saturated Fat: 24g
Fiber: 3g
Sugar: 6g
Sodium: 1400mg